JeffC1500TBI

ok I'm asking this so that when I finally get my fresh rebuilt engine in I will know.. I'm aiming to have it in within the next 4 weeks.. temperature(weather) dependant..

the engine has been bored 030 over.. new pistons, same connecting rods with arp bolts, new crank, new bearings,etc.. new edelbrock 6085 heads, 3704 intake.. now the cam 3702 I had put in about 3000km's before the engine went and it had already been broken in.. the guy reused the cam as it was still ok he said it just needed a bit of polishing due to the cam bearing starting to go.. now the lifters & push rods are new as well.. edelbrock says to run 8 degrees advance with the chip they are sending me but told me to run it a 0 degrees for breakin.. now what kind of breakin should I be doing? initial startup procedure, etc.. the engine builder told me to run 500km's with the 10w30 oil that he put in .. then do an oil change again and do 500km's and then I could advance the timing to 8 degrees and put some mobil 1 in.. does this seem right? he also told me I didn't really have to baby it during the break in.. also when i use mobil 1 do I use a stock delco oil filter?

thanks..

JeffC1500TBI

anyone?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

If the cam is a flat-tappet type, it should have been replaced when the new lifters were installed. If roller, then the lifters most likely did not need to be replaced.

If flat tappet, the initial run-in should be at 2000-2500 RPMs for about 15-20 minutes. The timing should be guestimated, you can set it after the initial run.

If roller tappet, you don't need that 2000-2500 RPM run-in. Start it up, do your initial adjustments like timing & idle, etc.

I like to drain the oil after that first run-in. Cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned. Gets that moly assembly lube out of the system.

Straight 30 weight oil is typically recommended for the break-in, but 10W30 will work fine as well. Crane included a break-in additive with their new cam, so I put that in after the initial run-in. Run this oil for a few hundred klicks, then change oil and filter again.

Synthetic can be used at this time, but depending upon the rings used, you should probably get about a few thousand km's on it before you go synthetic, especially if the rings are moly. But, you probably won't have any problems (some compression loss or oil usage until the rings seat well being the worst) if you do switch to synthetic at that point. You certainly won't damage anything.

GM has a power cycling step in their recommended break-in procedure - I tried to find it quick, but failed. It was quoted in a previous post about a week ago on this topic.

I have never heard of different timing setting for break-in vs. normal driving. If you have a mechanical/vacuum advance system, I'd think zero degrees is too little for break in.

JeffC1500TBI

the cam is a flat tappet cam.. it only had 3000km's on it when the engine was rebuilt.. so the guy only replaced the lifters and not the cam.

Red Devil

RECOMMENDED ENGINE START-UP PROCEDURE (Per GM)
1. SAFETY FIRST! If the car is on the ground, be sure the emergency brake is set, the wheels
are chocked, and the transmission cannot fall into gear.
2. Be sure to check the oil level in the engine and prime the oil system
3. Run engine between 2,000 and 2,500 RPMs, with no-load on the engine for the first 30 min.
4. Adjust the distributor timing roughly by hand for a quick start up and smoothest idle possible.
5. Adjust the carburetor settings, if necessary.
6. After the first 30 minutes of the engine running, set the ignition timing (see install ignition
section for timing specifications).
7. Drive the vehicle with varying speeds and loads on the engine for the first 30 miles. Be sure
not to use a lot of throttle or high RPM.
8. Run five or six medium-throttle accelerations to about 5,000 RPM (55 to 60 MPH), then
letting off in gear and coasting back down to 20 MPH.
9. Run a couple hard-throttle accelerations up to about 5000 RPM (55 to 60 MPH), then letting
off in gear and coasting back down to 20 MPH.
10. Change the oil and filter with 10w30SG oil and PF1218 AC Delco oil filter (PN 251605610
11. Drive the next 500 miles normally, without high RPM's (below 5,000 RPM), hard use, or
extended periods of high loading.
12. Change the oil and oil filter again.
13. Your engine is now ready for many happy cruising miles!

jcb999

you will probably have to pump it up to 20 to get it started and then slowly back it down.. as you reduce the idle.

SSC

I tell you what! Unless I have a GM goodwrench warrenty I'm not going to be breaking in any of my engines that way. I use 5.7's method except I only chnage the filter after the first 100 miles, then dump the oil and filter 400 miles later then after 800 or so miles will I dare take the engine past 3k. That Medium throttle to 5000rpm dont do it until the engine is broken in. Set 3k as you max medium RPM but only after 100 or so miles> most rebuilds are tight and have variences due to old machinery use to bore blocks and the made in who knows were pistons (el cheapo most places use them, I use them too) arent cast perfectly and you want the extra material to wear off before it see's more than 3k.
SSC


BTW sweet truck!

JeffC1500TBI

hmm.. that's probably procedures for breaking in brand new engine right? I mean this is my original block from 88.. it was just bored 030 over.. and like I said that cam only had 3000 km's on it and had previously been broken in. . the only thing is he put all new lifters on and polished the cam where the bearings where.. I strongly believe now that the guy that had installed my new intake and cam 3000km's ago is the cause of my engine failure.. the engine builder(different guy!) said he couldn't believe the amount of orange rtv around the intake and that there was some in the oil pan and some on the p/u screen.. probably starved my bearings of oil.. damn that ticks me off just thinking about it..